Thinking about the cool rainy weather of winter on these warm July days. Here, a Scrub Jay finishes off a pyracantha berry on the tip of his tongue.

Another favorite is the striking White-lined Sphinx Moth. The hindwings, hidden here by the forewings, are black with a beautiful wide pink stripe in the center. I didn't want to disturb her for a photo. These large moths are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds.

A5274356 Phyllis, the lovely girl I met during the Seen=Saved photography event, is still waiting for her new home. She's five years old, sweet, affectionate and will make a great best friend. You can meet her in person at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. The volunteers love her.

Beautiful colors and interesting behaviors make the Green Lynx Spider one of my all time favorites. Rather than spinning webs to ensnare their prey, they use strands of silk to navigate an area where they hunt. Females guard their egg sacs and move them around, if necessary, to keep them safe.​ They help the babies hatch and remain with them for a time afterwards. I have observed them changing color, from their usual bright green to a patterned dark reddish brown, in order to blend in with their surroundings. 

This female lies in wait beneath a flower where she ambushes unsuspecting bees and wasps! She's getting fatter by the day. I discovered her on the ground where she had fallen while I was cutting back some overgrown plants. I carefully coaxed her back up the garden wall and left a large patch of foliage and flowers so she could remain in her home.

An excellent view of the California Towhee's cinnamon
underside.

They remind me of little chickens as they forage for seeds and bugs while scratching through leaf litter on the ground.

​Scratch, scratch, scratch, hop backwards to see what's been exposed, peck, peck, peck, repeat. 

Flirting by the lake at Descanso Gardens.

Saturday, a county-wide event organized by Seen=Saved along with Shelter Me and Hearts Speak, saw over 200 photographers documenting the animals in all seven LA County Animal Care Centers in one day. (This does not even include the LA city shelters.) Here are three I fell in love with. They are available for adoption.

Pictured here with a terrific volunteer, Gus, a 2 year old male, is at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. He's almost seven pounds and very dear. He would make a lovely companion.

Jacob is an easy going, best-pal-ever kind of dog. Three years old, affectionate and intelligent, he's a forty pound hunk of love. You can meet him at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center.

To the shelter volunteers: Thank You!  for the love, kindness and attention you give to these animals while they are waiting for their second chance. You are very much appreciated.  

When I first started seeing this pure white House Finch at the back yard feeder, I wasn't able to see the eye color. If it's pink or red, then this would be an albino bird, but normal brown eyes indicate it's leucistic.

Albinism causes an absence of melanin, which colors the skin, feathers and eyes. Leucism causes only a partial loss of pigmentation where the eyes are not affected. An albinistic bird has pink eyes resulting from the lack of pigmentation in the eye. The color comes only from the blood vessels in the eye. This completely white bird still has melanin because the eyes are dark.

It's been one year since Thor was adopted into a loving home. And so there was a party to celebrate. His Dog-Super-Hero determination and beautiful soul has inspired us all! He was rescued by The Real Bark. You can see a video of his amazing transformation here.

An endangered species who lives in the salt marshes of southern California and Mexico - this one at Bolsa Chica Wetlands.